


far away, something calls

by patrichor



Series: invincible in a violet sea (ender dragon hybrid!ranboo) [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Good Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Hybrid Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Light Angst, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Toby Smith | Tubbo, Protective TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Wilbur Soot, Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), also again quackity isnt a villain i just write him aggressive ig??, but dream is the only Villain, he makes mistakes but hes trying, i mean it fits canon so, idk why that isnt a tag??, it's all very background tho lmao, its been a while tho, january 16th/doomsday spoilers, kind of, no romantic relationships dont be fuckin nasty, should be fine i hope, they r family your honor....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29195442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrichor/pseuds/patrichor
Summary: Five times Ranboo accidentally claimed someone, and one time he discovered he'd been claimed in return
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Ranboo, Clay | Dream & Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Ranboo & TommyInnit & Phil Watson & Technoblade & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Wilbur Soot
Series: invincible in a violet sea (ender dragon hybrid!ranboo) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139606
Comments: 104
Kudos: 1340
Collections: Completed stories I've read, Found family to make me feel something, Purrsonal Picks





	far away, something calls

**Author's Note:**

> dskfbdh today sucked u get something soft
> 
> ok so like. there's now a small grave in my backyard, i buried a bird that i dont wanna talk about how it died except i tried to help it but couldn't
> 
> on an unrelated note,,, turns out i'm not the best at eulogies. ended up apologizing a lot, and most of it was explaining to the bird that its body will decompose and new life will come from it. i'm very much not religious but i did pray a bit, not to anyone specific just kinda. a general message ig
> 
> anyway im just tryna explain that this is gonna be rlly fuckin soft. i've written ranboo going feral protecting his friends, and there is a bit of that in here, but mostly i wanted the other characters to protect ranboo too
> 
> no one can be the protector all the time, yknow? also this isn't the direct sequel i promised, im still working on that. ranboo being an ender dragon hybrid isnt specifically mentioned, but it does expand on the whole claiming people thing that was mentioned in the first one so i guess mostly this is lore??? chill

**1\. TOMMY**

You've never known where it comes from, your intrinsic need to c _laim_ and _protect_. You know people aren't fond of being claimed, though you can't remember how you know this, so for years you stick to claiming pets. These pets are Yours To Protect, and for as long as you can remember- which admittedly is not very long- it's been enough to satisfy your instincts.

And then you come to the Dream SMP, and suddenly pets aren't quite enough. You still claim yours, of course, and they are really one of the only things you can go against others for, even with your lack of backbone. But your instincts are screaming at you to _claim_ , to _protect_ , and you don't understand what or why until you are facing the entirety of L'Manberg for Tommy.

"He is not selfish," You say, and you confess to your crimes even though it terrifies you. You can sense Tommy's wide eyes as he looks at you in surprise, your tail lashing nervously behind you as you battle the anxiety of having so many eyes on you, and you think _oh_. You've accidentally claimed a person, haven't you?

But there are worse people you could have claimed, and you know Tommy isn't aware of what's happened so you think maybe it's okay. Phil makes you anxious when he later asks when you claimed Tommy, until he assures you he isn't upset, and Tommy won't be either when he finds out. You explain that you didn't realize you'd done it, but you ponder it and you think it might have been in the courtroom, when Tommy took the blame for you. Phil nods when you say this, and the two of you drop the subject.

You're on your way to meet with Tubbo when you sense something horribly wrong. You spin and run, following the direction of the pull, heedless to Tubbo's surprised call of your name. The pull leads you through the portal, through the Nether to a beach you've never been to before. You see Tommy, posture defensive as he faces Dream, and you slow to a fast walk before calling his name loudly. They turn and look at you, and Tommy's face shows nothing but surprised relief. You can't see Dream's face, but with poor memory you've had to become good at reading people, and you can tell he's irritated at you.

You just smile at Dream and say you came to visit Tommy, despite how it's clear from your appearance you were just in a panicked rush. When he says it's a bad time, you nod understandingly and don't budge an inch.

"Of course, of course." You agree, adopting your most agreeable tone. Then you turn to Tommy, ignoring Dream entirely. "How have you been, Tommy?"

You sling an arm around his shoulder, leading him away from Dream as quickly as you can without rushing. You can feel Dream's eyes on you even with his mask, and you know you're making a powerful enemy but somehow you can't bring yourself to regret it. Tommy is safe, you think, and that's all that matters.

Tommy's grateful for the visit and for the interruption of whatever Dream was doing, but you can tell he's confused.

"Why are you here now? That's pretty convenient timing, man!"

You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "Ah, yeah. That. I.. may have accidentally claimed you when you protected me in court and now when you're in danger I get this bad feeling that leads me to where you are?" You say it all in one breath, wincing.

Tommy blinks at you a moment. "Wait, so you claimed.. me?"

You nod. "I'm sorry." You blurt, hunching over a little. "I know most humans don't like being claimed but I didn't know, it just kinda happened and I understand if you're mad-"

Tommy puts a hand on your shoulder, effectively cutting off your train of thought. "Hey, it's not a big deal or whatever! It's- a hybrid thing, right? Techno's the same way. I don't mind."

You look at him in surprise, your tail curling lightly around his wrist, and then the two of you share a smile.

L'Manberg gets used to seeing you take off for the Nether portal at random times, and after you explain that it's because you sense Tommy in danger, Tubbo gives you full permission to check on him when you need to, only requesting that you explain what happens to him afterward.

The more you interfere, though, the more dislike you can sense aimed your way from Dream. You take care not to challenge him on anything except Tommy, aware that Dream is not someone you want to annoy more than you amuse him. As soon as you stop being fun, you know he will get rid of you.

Well.

He'll certainly try.

**2\. TUBBO**

The next one you claim is Tubbo. The two of you work closely together, so you suppose it only makes sense that one night as you speak and he confides in you his worry for Tommy, you feel a surge of protectiveness rising within you.

_Oh, no. Not again._

You try to ignore it, but ever since that night you find yourself looking out for Tubbo, too. When he seems upset or anxious, your tail will often wrap around his wrist or ankle without your input. It's embarrassing, but thankfully Phil seems to be the only one who recognizes the signs. He gives you a knowing look the next time you come to visit him, and you flush dark grey.

"That one wasn't on purpose either," You mumble, ears drooping as he laughs in a friendly manner.

In cabinet meetings you start to speak up, every once in a while, mostly prompting Tubbo to speak. He's the President, after all, and sometimes the other two forget that that means he's in charge. You don't think they mean any harm, so you make sure to be as helpful to them as possible the rest of the time.

Your instincts alert you again, but instead of taking you through the Nether, they lead you to where Tubbo has been backed into a corner by an electrified creeper. You don't slow down before tackling it, slicing it with your claws until the remaining health Tubbo hadn't taken from it was gone and it poofs.

You sit up, appearance a mess and not bothering to hide your concern. Tubbo runs over, frantically asking if you're okay. Once you confirm you are, he asks where you learned to fight. He didn't think you could.

You explain that it's intentional on your part- people are scared enough of hostile mob hybrids, so you prefer to appear as harmless as possible because you hate it when people are scared of you.

Tubbo asks if you have any enderman abilities beside the claws, and you say you don't think so. He offers to help you find out, explaining that if you can teleport you'd be able to get to Tommy faster when he needs help, and you agree.

It takes weeks of trying different things and entirely too much 'necromancy' on Tubbo's part, but eventually you find you can teleport short distances when stressed. He's delighted by the discovery, forgetting to ask how you knew he needed saving from the creeper.

You think it's fine that way. Maybe he'll figure it out, maybe he won't. As long as you can keep him safe, you think, it doesn't really matter.

**3\. Ghostbur**

You get along well with Ghostbur. His memory problems are a little different from yours, but it's nice to talk to someone who gets it. You don't spend a lot of time with him, but he'll come talk to you sometimes and you'll always stop by his music stand if you're around when he's playing.

You're out walking at night, admiring the floating lanterns, when you see Ghostbur looking thoughtful. You come and settle next to him on the bench, the two of you just sitting quietly until he rises and bids you goodnight. It becomes a sort of routine, happening a few nights each week, and you find yourself not minded getting less sleep.

You found lapis the other day while mining for resources, and you think it might be nice to give Ghostbur some. He says his blue starts out clear and absorbs sadness, but when he gives it to people it's already blue. You wonder if that means he's so sad that it's already turned blue as soon as he touches it. Your blue didn't start clear, but you think he might appreciate it anyway.

You find Ghostbur in a ball in the corner of his little home in the sewers, floating a few feet off the floor. Every so often his form buzzes with static, and spectral blue blood drips from the tear in his sweater.

You aren't sure how to help, but you do your best. Putting the blue in his hands, you sit in front of him and talk in an even voice about anything you can think of. You tell him what Tommy was up to when you last visited, how Tubbo discovered your ability to teleport, even describe the mining trip where you found the lapis.

Slowly, his form stabilizes as your voice and the blue give him focus points, pulling him out of whatever was going on. He eventually looks up and sees you, your voice a little hoarse by this point. You see him looking and pause, smiling at him.

"Are you doing any better?"

He nods. "Sorry, I dunno what happened. Normally I'm totally fine!"

You nod agreeably, hiding your concern. "That's okay. Stuff like this just happens sometimes." You scoot into a spot next to him, your tail draping itself across his ankle. He blinks at your tail and then you with wide eyes, and something soft enters his expression as you look away in embarrassment.

He puts an arm around your shoulders in the same manner, and the two of you sit together in comfortable silence for a while.

After that day, Ghostbur makes more of an effort to casually spend time with you, and sometimes you see Phil watching the two of you with something soft in his eyes. If you had a family you can't remember them, but sometimes you think that family might be like the warmth in your chest when Ghostbur messes up your hair and you chase him, both of you laughing.

You don't remember getting to be a kid before. It's nice, you think, and even though it was an accident and you're still worried about what might happen because of it, you're glad you ended up claiming him.

**4\. PHIL**

You spend a lot of time in Phil's house, helping him organize his things and just keeping him company. Things are fine right up until the other cabinet members barge in, take a compass, and put him under house arrest. You try to stop them from breaking his house, but they don't listen to you. Instead, they pull you away with them to talk about hunting down Technoblade, and as you look over your shoulder to see Phil watching the four of you leave, and you send him an apologetic look. From the way his wings slump a little and he returns the look, you can tell he understands.

After the failed execution, you visit him in house arrest as often as you can between your other duties and the instincts pulling at you every so often. You keep him up-to-date on the happenings in L'Manberg, and, well, if that sometimes includes hints at the cabinet's plans involving Technoblade, it's not really anyone's business. You're not telling Technoblade himself, you're just telling the one person in L'Manberg who has the means and motive to pass the information along to him. Completely coincidentally, of course.

When he breaks out of house arrest, you look the other way. He's been kind to you, and you are loyal to L'Manberg! You are! But you know imprisoning him isn't right, and anyway you owe him after he saved you from lava.

It's a bit harder to find an excuse for why you travel to Technoblade's house to see him, give both of them Netherite ingots, and hang out with them for a few hours. But- well, they're your friends, aren't they? And it's not like anything you're doing is hurting L'Manberg. There's nothing wrong with you spending some time with your friends every now and then, is there? You feel so compelled to help him because you're friends, right?

Things only start to click into place when you feel the tug pulling you again, only not in the usual direction. You think maybe Ghostbur is on his way to Technoblade's house and got stuck in the snow or something, so you bring an umbrella large enough for two. You aren't, however, prepared to be led to what looks like a cave entrance covered by snow. A recent minor avalanche? You start carefully excavating the snow, calling out every so often to see if you can get a response from whoever's in the cave. And then Technoblade shows up and the two of you together dig out the cave to find Phil inside, cold but no worse for wear, and you look at Technoblade and find him looking back with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doin' all the way out here?" He asks blandly, but you can tell you'll be in trouble if he doesn't like your answer.

You duck your head, staring at the snow at your feet. "I just- it felt like something was wrong, and I followed it here. I'm sorry, I can go now that everything's fine."

Technoblade looks at you searchingly, before understanding dawns in his eyes. "Ranboo, have you claimed Phil?"

You start to stammer an apology, explaining that you didn't _mean_ to, and Technoblade cuts you off with a wave of his hand. "Ranboo, it really doesn't matter to me. If anythin' it means Phil has someone else looking out for him. Why would that upset me?"

You start to answer, then stop and frown. Why would that upset him? "..I dunno." You admit after a pause. "I can't remember why, I just feel like it would."

Technoblade nods slowly. "Well, it doesn't." He turns to leave, tossing a farewell wave over his shoulder. "See you around, Ranboo."

You wave back, and then Phil ruffles your hair, ignoring how you warble in protest and duck away.

"Claimed me, huh?" He teases, the white side of your face flushing grey. You hold your tail, fiddling with it anxiously, and he puts a hand on your shoulder.

"Hey, it's fine. Don't gotta look so worried, mate. If anything, it's pretty sweet."

You peek up at him, scrutinizing his face, and see nothing but sincerity. Slowly, you nod, letting go of your tail and sighing a little as it immediately wraps around the arm Phil has on your shoulder. He laughs a little, and you find yourself laughing with him.

After that, you visit them more often when you can. You don't get many tugs Phil's direction, which you think makes sense considering his renowned survival abilities. You're getting more and more tugs toward Tommy, though, and it worries you. After you follow one to find him on a bridge in the Nether, looking at the lava a little too long for your liking, you talk to Phil and ask why he doesn't visit Tommy. Phil looks at you sadly, and you're about to apologize and flee when he sighs.

"I don't.. I don't want to hurt Tommy by getting involved with his life. The last time I did that with one of my sons.." He trails off, but you know from the grief on his face that he's talking about Alivebur. He sighs again, shaking his head. "I figured he has his friends, and I don't want to hurt another of my kids trying to help them."

You think about that for a minute. "Maybe." You concede, looking up at the moon. "But.. I know Tommy misses you. Even if it's just for a little bit, I think it would mean a lot to him if you visited."

Phil looks at you with something thoughtful in his eyes. "I'll take it into consideration." He says quietly, and you think that'll be the end of that until one day on a regular visit to Tommy you pass Phil leaving. He smiles at you and pats your shoulder before continuing on his way, and your tail flicks happily as you turn and spot Tommy, looking more hopeful than he has in weeks.

**5\. TECHNOBLADE**

You go along with the butcher army because they tell you that they're bringing Technoblade back for trial. You're made a little uncomfortable by the expression on Phil's face when he sees you bringing Technoblade back, and by the way Technoblade shouts to him, asking what you've done to him.

You take your seat, and then your head snaps up as you hear Quackity say this is an execution not a trial.

"Wait, didn't- didn't you say there would be a fair trial?" You shrink back as everyone's attention lands on you. Tubbo looks sad, Fundy and Quackity just disappointed, and Technoblade looks at you with something like consideration.

Your tail swishes nervously behind you, tucked in close to your legs.

"There won't be a trial because we all already know what he did, Ranboo, so there's no point in wasting time." Quackity explains, sounding like he's trying to explain something obvious to a small child.

You make another attempt, but your voice is small and your anxiety is rising from the number of eyes on you. "But- the precedent that sets-"

"Ranboo." Quackity snaps, clearly having run out of patience. "It doesn't matter! What matters is if you're with L'Manberg, or against it."

You shrink further, heart pounding from your anxiety, and your tail curls around your leg in an attempt to comfort yourself.

"Well?" Quackity demands, and you realize it was a question, not a statement.

"L'Manberg is my home," You answer, lowering your gaze to stare at the wooden floor. "Of- of course I'm not against it."

Your fellow cabinet members accept that, to your relief, and you sink back into your seat with slumped shoulders as the execution continues.

You hide your relief at Technoblade's escape under your usual anxious demeanor, but you think Phil can tell. You don't visit him for a few days anyway, ashamed of having given up on trying to stop the execution as soon as pressure was placed on you. That lasts until he calls you over, and you go with hunched shoulders expecting anger.

He takes a look at your face and sighs, reassuring you that he's not mad. He asks you to go with Ghostbur to Techno's house to make sure he gets there safely without melting from the snow. You hesitate for a moment, remembering how easily Technoblade defeated all of you- though to be fair, you weren't teleporting or using your real ability because you didn't want to be deemed a threat by the other cabinet members- but you nod and agree. It's for Ghostbur, after all, and you hope if things go really badly he'll help you.

The visit goes better than you expected. You do have to give back his armor to keep him from killing you, but really, it could've been worse. You come around sometimes, always with Ghostbur or later, after Phil escapes house arrest, at the older man's invitation. The more time you spend with them, the more you realize how similar your and Technoblade's senses of humor are.

And then everything goes to the Nether in a handbasket, because of course it does. You're bracing yourself against the eyes on you, speaking despite the anxiety strangling your voice in your throat, trying to get them to see what you've seen all along. They're so focused on sides and land and countries, why can't they see that none of it matters? You speak yourself near-hoarse, but none of them listen.

So you leave, and bring your pets to a safe room you made before the festival. Before everything went wrong.

Why did you try to tell them your perspective? You knew it wouldn't work, being honest never works. You think for a long time in your obsidian room, and eventually you decide that even if you don't fight alongside them, you owe it to your friends to at least be there.

(You try to ignore how your heart splits in two, because these are your claimed people and defending one means fighting another. You can't do that, you know you can't.)

In the fighting, you hear Technoblade say something about your book. He gives it back to you and you hug it close, breathing a sigh of relief. Nothing feels right without it, you're always scared of what you might be forgetting when you can't check. Technoblade looks at you seriously and tells you to leave, he has no quarrel with you. You hesitate, tail lashing in agitation, and ask him to please not kill Tommy or Tubbo. He looks unhappy, but as you continue speaking by explaining that they're two of your claimed, his shoulders slump and he sighs. He won't go out of his way to kill them, he says, but he will defend himself. You're overwhelmed by relief, and you thank him before the two of you go your separate ways.

Later, you find out that he asked Phil to check on you and was the one who brought up the idea of you moving in near them. You make him a Netherite axe as a thank you, and both of you pretend you don't notice him becoming emotional.

You have trouble sleeping most nights after L'Manberg is destroyed. When you close your eyes, you hear explosions, and the wither that had been right behind you for most of the night, and Dream's voice telling you to remember. You take to visiting the dog kennel when you can't sleep, and more often than not you'll drift off long after midnight, nestled in a pile of dogs. Technoblade is the first one to find you there, and he pretends to be put out by having to look for you but you can see the soft expression in his eyes as he watches the dogs smother you in fur and wagging tails.

Eventually, your insomnia lines up with Technoblade's and as you sneak into the dog kennel you find him already inside. The two of you glance at each other but don't speak, you lying on your side facing him as several dogs come and curl up beside you. You lie in silence for an unknown amount of time before he speaks.

"Can't sleep?"

You hum, nodding slowly. "Voice is loud." You mutter, before your brain catches up and you sit upright, eyes wide. You didn't mean to admit you hear voices, what if they kick you out?

Technoblade sees your alarm and sighs, eyes looking older than his appearance would suggest. "You have 'em too, huh?"

You blink at him, his words taking a moment to register, and your eyes widen further. "..Too?"

He nods. "They don't shut up much, do they? Makes it hard to sleep."

You nod slowly, hope beginning to rise in your chest. "Do you- do you know how to make it be quiet?"

He shrugs. "I'm used to mine. If I tell 'em to shut up for a bit, they know I mean it. Guess it depends on what yours are like."

You pull your knees to your chest. "..It sounds like Dream," You whisper, eyes fixed on the dog you're petting next to you. "It says- it tells me bad things I did, things I don't remember."

Technoblade nods slowly. "Huh. Well, I'd say you need more proof that you did those things than a voice. Mine lie plenty, yours might do the same."

You nod slowly, but you're still hesitant. He sighs and pats the floor next to him, encouraging you to settle. You do, and he drapes one end of his cloak around you.

"Don't worry, and just sleep. Nothin'll be able to hurt you, voice or no voice, as long as I'm here."

You nod again, feeling some of the tension drain from your body, and curl into his side. It's warm, and fluffy between the cape and the dogs, and before you know it your eyes are slipping closed. The last thing you're aware of is a soft chuckle as your tail clumsily drapes itself over the legs of your impromptu pillow.

Finally, you're able to sleep peacefully.

**+1. DREAM**

You knew it might be a bad idea to go out for resources alone after making an enemy of Dream all that time ago, but you figured it would be fine. If he hadn't done anything by now, then he probably wasn't going to, right?

Wrong.

You duck underneath a zombie's swipe and slash a skeleton to pieces with your claws. Briefly, you spare a moment to wonder where Dream is getting all these mobs from, before deciding it really doesn't matter as you run from a creeper.

You'd been put on edge when Dream approached you, watching him as your tail flicked nervously. But you weren't prepared for poison and a splash potion of weakness, and now you're in this.. maze? Death house? Whatever it is, you're alone with more mobs than you're confident you can take.

He's wearing you down, you realize then. He knows you're from the arena, knows that even if you can't beat him one on one you can definitely do some damage. But if you're exhausted and injured already...

You're pretty sure you're going to lose at least one life today. That feeling is only compounded when you dart through a door and slam it shut behind you, quickly barricading it only to turn and realize you're in a fighting ring. It's pretty well lit, and the only other possible exit is a glass portion of the ceiling that you could maybe break through, given enough time and blocks to reach it.

You have neither. Dream steps forward from where he's been waiting in the ring, and you quickly take stock of your injuries. You've been clawed by zombies all over, and a skeleton got a shot on your leg, forcing you to limp as fast as you could down the halls. You're also singed and slightly burned from creepers, and you're having trouble catching your breath. You don't know how long it's been since you were brought here. Hours? Days?

Has anyone noticed you're missing yet?

"I gotta say, you lasted longer than I expected." Dream sounds like he's complimenting you, but there's a dark undertone to his words. You've proven yourself a threat, you know that, and it's at that moment that you realize there's no way you're leaving this place alive.

Dream must see the look on your face because he laughs, swinging his axe lightheartedly as he begins to stalk closer. He lunges suddenly, and you're more than stressed enough to teleport behind him and move away as fast as your injured leg will let you.

You can see genuine surprise as Dream turns to look at you, and the smile that stretches across his face gives you chills. "You can teleport, too? Oh, this'll be fun. Let's see how long you can keep it up!" He attacks again, and you teleport and lash out with your claws. You manage to scrape his shoulder through his sweatshirt, and scramble back before he can hit you.

It's not enough. You've been fighting and running nonstop for who knows how long now, and Dream is as strong as he has ever been. Your only advantage is your desperation, and you know that won't last. With exhaustion and injuries weighing you down, you just aren't fast enough to fully dodge the next hit. It sends you crashing to the ground, and Dream smiles as he raises his axe.

"Well, it's been fun, I'll give you that. Goodbye, Ranboo." He swings, and you instinctively raise your arms to shield yourself, inadvertently blocking your line of sight.

The next thing you hear is shattering glass, and then the solid _thud_ of a weapon hitting a shield. Slowly, you open your eyes to see Techno standing between you and Dream, shield in one hand and the axe you made for him in the other. Flanking him are Phil on one side, wings spread and sword pointed at Dream's throat, and Tommy on the other, holding his own axe in two hands as he glares daggers at Dream.

You look around. On your left is Ghostbur, something dark and furious in his eyes, but his hands are gentle as he helps you hold a healing potion steady enough to drink it. Tubbo is on your right, pulling out bandages and beginning to wrap the most urgent of your injuries.

Dream straightens up, mask unreadable as ever, but you can sense the frustration rolling off of him in waves. "Techno. Tommy. And some others, too. How nice. What, exactly, are you all doing here?"

"What does it fuckin' look like, bitch boy?" Tommy snarls, and as Techno glances sidelong at him with something like approval in his eyes you realize you've never seen him this genuinely furious.

"You have someone of ours, Dream." Techno remarks blandly, a threat implicit in every word. _Go ahead_ _,_ his expression says. _Give me a reason._ "Did you really think you would get away with it?"

Phil laughs, his manner unfriendly. "You picked the wrong people to fuck with, mate. Last chance to back off before you get your shit wrecked."

Dream sets the head of the axe on the ground, leaning on the handle. "I could say the same thing to you, Philza. It'd be a real shame if you lost your only life, wouldn't it?" He tilts his head, the rest of him eerily still. "Ranboo just needs to be taught a lesson on respecting authority, that's all. Don't worry, you can have whatever's left of him when I'm done."

You try to disguise your flinch, but from the way Ghostbur's expression darkens you don't think you were successful. He rises, hoving protectively in front of you. "Just try it." He says coldly, and something about his demeanor is so different that you think _oh_. This isn't quite Ghostbur, is it? But's it's not Alivebur, either, at least not how he was described to you. For a moment, you could swear you see a flash of a blue jacket replacing the yellow sweater, but you blink and it's gone.

Tubbo pulls one of your arms over his shoulders, taking most of your weight as he helps you stand. He's a lot shorter than you so you have to hunch over a little uncomfortably, but Ghostbur takes your other side and it evens out. Tubbo breathes in deeply, steeling his nerves, before turning the full force of his glare onto Dream.

"Ranboo is under our protection. An attack on him is an attack on all of us. Are you prepared for another war, Dream? Because let me warn you now, this is not a fight you want to start."

Dream's smile is still visible, but it seems strained. "Are you sure you want to do this? You know what going against me means. The kid will still have one or two lives left, is it really worth it?"

"Perhaps you misheard me." Techno takes a step forward, hefting your gift axe. "I said, _he's one of ours._ Touch him again, and none of yours will last a week." He brings the axe crashing down, sending Dream disappearing in a puff of smoke.

As soon as the threat is gone, Tommy and Phil move quickly to your side.

"You alright, mate? Sorry it took us so long to get here. Dream hid this place well."

You're flooded with relief at the familiar voice that's come to mean safety, and you tilt forward, letting yourself stumble toward Phil. He moves quickly to catch you, and you bury your face in his shirt, your breathing beginning to waver as everything you'd pushed off the past few days to focus on surviving hits you at once.

"Hey, it's okay. We've got you." A hand smooths your hair, prompting a soft warble. You stay wrapped in safe arms and warm wings for several minutes, slowly pulling away once you've calmed somewhat.

Tommy and Tubbo hover anxiously a few steps away, Tubbo's eyes filling with relieved tears as you smile at them and hold out an arm. Tommy is the first to move, charging headlong into your arms and clinging tightly. Tubbo isn't far behind, and you hold them just as fiercely as they hold you.

"Thank you," You say hoarsely.

Tommy scoffs. "We weren't just gonna do nothing if you were in danger, Ranboo, don't be an idiot."

You laugh a little, not missing Tommy's look of pride at the sound.

"We were so worried when you went missing," Tubbo adds earnestly.

Ghostbur smiles at you, floating over to ruffle your hair, and you look around to see Techno standing a few feet away, watching the rest of you with poorly disguised affection on his face. You detangle an arm and hold it out to him, and he puts on an almost affronted face before shuffling over and enfolding the rest of you in a warm embrace.

"Just like a main character." He grumbles with mock annoyance. "We showed up literally just in time to save you."

You grin, ignoring the tears pricking at your eyes. "Pretty sure that means you're still plot-relevant for a while, oh cool sensei."

You both laugh a little, your heart filling with an unfamiliar but pleasant warmth. After a little while, you all detangle yourselves, and Techno easily scoops you up and wraps you in his cape. Phil smiles at you, a hand on your leg.

"Ready to go home, Ranboo?"

You look around at these people, people you've claimed as yours to protect who've claimed you as theirs in turn, and you smile as the warmth rises in your heart again.

Home isn't a place. Maybe it never has been. Home isn't L'Manberg, or your little house next to Techno's, or even your comfort room. Home is hot chocolate with Phil, late-night talks with Techno, reading with Ghostbur, playing pranks with Tommy, weird experiments with Tubbo. Home isn't a place. It's people. It's family.

You look at your family, and you couldn't hide the soft, affectionate look on your face if you tried.

"Yeah," You say, turning back to Phil. "Yeah, I'm ready to go home."

**Author's Note:**

> hey, thanks for reading :)
> 
> if you made it this far, tell me in the comments for in the sequel, how much actual feral ranboo do u want? not killing dream feral, but like. operating entirely on dragon instinct feral. bc the plot could go either way tbh it's just how quickly certain stuff will get resolved
> 
> also the ending... im really out here reuniting the antarctic anarchists huh  
> \+ tubbo ofc im not leaving him behind


End file.
